Alberta_Rose

But you can get large impersonal schools in large towns in the UK, and small community/village schools in Canada, so that's not a valid comparison at all.

Shawn_ldn

Ok, there are loads of anecdotal comparisons, these are international studies trying to compare academic performance in Science and Reading:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7117231.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7119511.stm

In the Science Canada is 3rd and Britain 15th.
Reading - the Canadian provinces were entered individually, Alberta was 3rd, BC 5th, Ontario 7th. England 19th I think.
So, seems likely Canada performs better, but that is not to say everything in education is better.
In terms of crime, I find it hard to believe that the Canadian cities come close to London, I teach in an inner city school, we have had a stabbing in our school (everyone knows who did it but no-one wants to say), loads of muggings outside school, on two consecutive days have had to stop outside kids from chasing into the school after some of our kids. Today one was trying to get in with a rounders bat.
So, while this is anecdotal there is a lot of learning going on at our school and incredibly talented teachers and kids, but there is also an incredible amount of discord in the community within and outside the school.
I am sure there are going to be areas in Canada with similar problems.
At any rate I am leaving for Canada in the summer and will take my chances.

gapbap

Just giving my opinion on the area I live in which is all that can be expected. If you have a different opinion for your area why dont you give a fuller reply which may help the original poster to get an idea on different areas and what to expect. I live in a suburb of Calgary and this is what I find having visited a number of the local schools.

Alberta_Rose

It's not a question of opinion, so don't get your knickers in a twist.

Schools in the suburbs of a large city/town in the UK are likely to be large, as they are in Canada.
Schools in smaller villages/communities are likely to be smaller, in both countries.

Here in Calgary you tend to get smaller and more numerous schools at elementary level, at least one for each community as a rule .... larger schools at Junior High, covering several communities, ..... and largest at Senior High, which probably has several feeder junior highs.

In my friend's town, Bowden, they have just one school for the area which takes them right from kindergarten to Senior High age, 550 kids in total. http://www.town.bowden.ab.ca/living.html

gapbap

I am not at all "stroppy" as you put it. I am pleased that we have both been able to give a constructive opinion to the original poster. I think in your haste you may have taken my reply the wrong way!! I am at peace today!!

Alberta_Rose

Darn you saw my reply before I changed it.

Glad you are at peace. Me too!

Rich_007

Here's some for free...you seem to have the "old country" Parochial Engurland Island Nation attitude and socially uptight hang-ups that most of tried so hard to escape.

I'd stay where you are if I were you. Or move to Alberta, anywhere else you'll mostly be a misfit.

R.

gapbap

I am glad we are both at peace, but you are very right in your later comment, my knickers are very uncomfortable, I think all those chocolate chip cookies have taken their toll !!!

dbd33

My primary news source was, and continues to be, the Graun. Apart from being informative I find it to be a good source of drinking buddies and sexual partners. I know more people in Canada through their being Gruniad readers than from any other source.

Something of a shoe fetishist, I have a pair of Tevas and am currently in Crocs.

gapbap

Thank goodness this was not in response to my last post!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was a bit concerned for a moment!!!

Dave+Jules

I never considered that groandian readers might actually be sexual?

Rich_007

I wore my Prada's last week for the first time in almost 3 years. I felt very metrosexual and urbane. Should I be worried ?



R.

Dave+Jules

Absoflippinlutely!

Rich_007

Cor blimey geezer, wot should I be worried about then, init ?



R.

Toronto Chick

Hi there, am new to this forum so thought I would throw in my two cents worth!

We (me, my husband and our 2 young kids) moved to a suburb of Toronto from Cheshire (UK) 4 years ago and have never looked back. We came out with a positive attitude and were determined to make a go of our new life (moaning about anything wasn’t allowed). When we arrived my husband hit the road for 8 hours a day knocking on doors and dropping off his resume (he is in marketing) and after 2 months of pounding the streets he got his first job with a local graphics company - the pay covered our rent and bills so we felt lucky. There was of course a huge adjustment process but we went with the flow and made the best of everything (it of course takes time to fit into a new country and lifestyle). I would say the first year was tough because everything was so new and we often felt lost but by year two we felt at home!

We now live in an amazing neighborhood and made lots of friends and every week there are community events going on (through winter and summer). I have never witnessed any crime or yobbish behavior (is that a word) in our area (although it definitely exists in the city but we live in a town about 30 mins from Toronto). The school is good as class sizes are low (less than 20 per class) and the teachers are very enthusiastic and motivated - my son had some mild learning issues and the school were on it right away getting him tested (this would of taken an eternity in he UK) and provided the help he needed immediately (I was really impressed). My husband got a much better marketing job in year two (through networking and hard work) so we bought a new 4 bed detached house and a new SUV (things we could never have done in the UK ever) as we find our money goes much further here and eating out is very cheap.

Our local doctors is great you can always get an appt the same day as you need it (not like the UK where you have to be half dead before they will see you within 2 weeks). Our quality of life here is much better than in the UK as here our weekends are full of things to do (fun and often educational for the kids). We honestly feel this was the best move we ever made and we are much better off financially. My kids have so many opportunities and things available to them here that I never saw in the UK. Of course Canada is not perfect taxes are high and its bloody freezing in the winter but for us personally Canada rocks (I obviously can not speak for anyone else and their situation) as we all come here and have such different views and experiences but for us it has pretty much been all positive (as I said earlier the first year is tough in many different ways but after that for us it was great). And to top it off my parents have just received their permanent resident visas (we sponsored them) and so has my sister and her family (they wanted some of what we were having)! Anyway just my story of our personal experience with Canada.

Last note – I appreciate that this email may be far to positive for many out there but I think its only fair to mention the happy endings along with the not so happy endings!